Essential Fatty Acids – Vitamin F Low Fat Diets Low fat or even no fat diets have become increasingly more popular and media attention focuses on the danger of high fat intake and the apparent benefits of those trying to lose weight. However, have you ever considered that there might be such a thing as good fat? Good Fats Good fats, or essential fatty acids as they are technically known, are an important part of a healthy diet. They are found in fish, nuts, seeds and their cold pressed oils. It can be difficult to achieve the minimum requirement of essential fatty acids through diet, particularly those people who are not eating nuts, seeds and fish on a regular basis. In this situation it may be advisable to use supplements to compensate …show more content…
The antioxidant nutrients include Vitamins A, C, E, and minerals selenium and zinc. These nutrients help to protect essential fatty acids from oxidation, a process where fatty acids are damaged by the effects of oxygen. Oxidised fats are potentially harmful to the body in the absence of sufficient antioxidants. A good overall vitamin and mineral supplement should mean that there will not be a deficiency of the antioxidants, as well as a daily supplement of Vitamin C as it is water soluble, cannot be stored in the liver, and must be replaced daily in the diet. Sources of Essential Fatty Acids Fat contains the essential fatty acids (EFAs) Omega 3 group linoleic acid, Omega 6 group linoleic acid and Omega 9 oleic acid group. The essential fatty acids are specific types of polyunsaturated fats that can only be obtained from the diet. Good dietary sources of Omega 3 are oily fish such as salmon, mackerel, herring, tuna and sardines. It is present in human breast milk and small amounts are found in green leafy vegetables and rapeseed, canola oils and avocadoes. Functions in the body include nervous system and retina development in young infants. It maintains the structure of the cell walls and plays a role in controlling of high cholesterol levels. Good dietary sources of Omega 6, linoleic acid are plant seed oils, e.g. sunflower, safflower, soya, corn maize oils and Evening …show more content…
Olive oil contains about 70 percent oleic acid. It is also found in rapeseed (canola) and nut seed. According to the Department of Health up to 12 percent of total calories should come from monounsaturates. Research has shown that there appears to be a link between a high dietary intake of oleic acid with reduced levels of LDL blood cholesterol. This is one of the reasons for encouraging people to follow the “Mediterranean type” diet consisting of high levels of olive oil and anti oxidant rich fresh fruit and vegetables. Reduced rates of heart disease and other diseases are associated with this type of diet. Research shows that LDL (low density lipoprotein) if found in large proportions in an individual’s cholesterol is likely to be deposited in the artery walls. So the lower the LDL levels, the healthier the heart will be. High density lipoprotein (HDL) has a beneficial effect. It can transport cholesterol out of the arteries, and back to the liver. 1. Source of Energy Fat serves as a concentrated source of
It is packed with omega-3 and omega-6 essential fatty acids, and it has been shown to improve cholesterol, decrease inflammation, and stop unhealthy formations. Sesame seed oil: This oil is packed with B-complex vitamins, which is essential if you have an autoimmune or chronic disease that could impact the levels of vitamin B in your body. Vitamin B is essential for optimal health. It is also very high in the antioxidant vitamin E, which plays a part in the prevention of heart disease and
In order to determine which fish oil supplement is best for us, we must first have a greater understanding of how each constituent is molecularly structured and how it is readably absorbed into the body. Triglycerides by definition are the main constituents of animal fats and vegetable oil. TG is a chemical compound that is formed from three fatty acids and one molecule of glycerol, as seen in Figure 1: The Molecular Structure of a Triglyceride.
Acid or base-catalyzed hydrolysis yields the component fatty acid, some examples of which are given in the following table, together with the alcohol component of the lipid. These long-chain carboxylic acids are generally referred to by their common names, which in most cases reflect their sources. Natural fatty acids may be saturated or unsaturated, and as the following data indicate, the saturated acids have higher melting points than unsaturated acids of corresponding size. The double bonds in the unsaturated compounds listed on the right are all cis (or
LDL or bad cholesterol comes from food that is a high source of cholesterol and/or saturated fats. Plaque forms when bad or LDL cholesterol builds up in your bloodstream and attaches to the arterial wall, as more LDL builds up the plaque becomes larger, this can become a major problem for your cardiovascular system. Because plaque is a substance that has rough edges, it reduces the elastic nature of the artery which means your heart will have to work double-time to pump the necessary blood to all your limbs, that will mean your limbs won’t get the amount of oxygen that they require to function properly. Plaque can also narrow the area blood has to pass through, this means your heart has to work overtime and overall capacity of your cardiovascular system is lowered. When the LDL cholesterol embeds itself in the wall of the artery it than damages the artery then blood pressure expands it which causes an aneurysm. When an aneurysm is too weak there is a high possibility of it bursting, when that happens it leaves the cells in and around that area without oxygen. If that artery is connected to a major vital organ the person will most likely die. When the blood flow is slowed it shows a greater risk for blood clots and although blood clots are natural and important to healing broken blood vessels, if blood clots gather inside the blood vessel this proves to be a serious health risk. The clots have the possibility to get stuck and completely cut off the blood flow to cells, leaving them without oxygen and causing them to die. If a clot gets inside a blood vessel connected to a major organ this could cause the person to die. The heart is fed by the coronary artery, if plaque or a blood clot blocks off blood flow to the heart, the heart ...
Almost everybody knows the negative effects bad cholesterol has on the body. Bad cholesterol has to do with low-density lipoprotein’s molecular transport deposits that thicken in the walls of the arteries hindering the flawless passage of blood affecting the atherogenic status of the arterial walls. But not everybody fully appreciates the important role cholesterol plays in the body. This non-soluble, waxy substance is essential to aid in the building of membranes, the manufacture of bile, strengthening of cell walls and nerve sheaths, and in the production of hormones.
Hypercholesterolemia is the presence of high levels of cholesterol in the blood. Cholesterol is a waxy fat-like substance and is a major class of lipid, so it gets into the blood by lipoproteins [1]. A high level of lipoproteins is unhealthy. A high level can result in an elevated risk of atherosclerosis and coronary heart disease [2]. The high levels of lipoproteins are often influenced by a combination of genetic and environmental factors such as obesity or dieting habits [2]. High cholesterol can be caused by mutations in the following genes: APOB, LDLR, LDLRAP1, and PCSK9 [3]. Mutations in the LDLR gene are responsible for causing familial hypercholesterolemia, which is the most commonly seen form of inherited high cholesterol [3]. The LDLR gene contains instructions for making LDL receptors or low-density lipoprotein receptors. LDL receptors play critical roles in regulating levels of cholesterol in the blood by removing low-density lipoproteins from the bloodstream. Mutations in the LDLR gene can make the amount of LDL receptors produced less than normal or affect their job of removing the low-density lipoproteins in the blood [4]. People who have these mutations will have higher levels of cholesterol. There are many ways that the environment can affect the levels of cholesterol in the blood. Reducing the amount of dietary fat you consume lowers the total amount of cholesterol in the blood [5]. Sucrose and fructose can raise the amount of LDL in the blood. Reducing fatty foods will however lower the amount of LDL [5]. Having a healthy body and maintaining physical exercise plays a key role in keeping your cholesterol at a healthy level. If you are overweight or obese you can lower your cholesterol levels by simply losing ...
Fatty acids such as linoleic acid, linolenic acid and arachidonic acid are known as essential fatty acid because they cannot be synthesized in the body so must be supplied in the food. Human being lacks the ability to introduce double bonds in fatty acids beyond carbons 9 & 10. About 20 different fatty acids are synthesized from the two essential fatty acids linoleic acid and linolenic acid. Omega three fatty acid is synthesized from linolenic acid and omega six fatty acid is synthesized from linolic acid.
In this lecture, it talks about fat and how it affects us and our bodies. There are two main different types of fat, saturated and unsaturated. Many types of saturated fat are found in meat and dairy products. These fats are hard to break down for cells, because of this, they tend to get tucked away and build up over time if worked off. Unsaturated fats are found in olive oil and other plant oils. These types of fat are readily consumed for energy.
Atherosclerosis is the culprit behind coronary heart disease (CHD) and stroke, which is the most common cause of death worldwide and in the United States10. Among the modifiable risk factors of CHD and stroke is the serum low density lipoprotein level (LDL)8, 11. Several randomized clinical trials have established that reducing the serum LDL level results in a reduction in the future risk of CHD and stroke in a linear relationship, in one study it was estimated that reducing the LDL by 1 % would reduce the risk by 1.7 %.1-4, 7, 9, 13
Some other types of arthritis that can be remedied by omega-3 fatty acids found in fish oil are rheumatoid arthritis, osteoarthritis, and ankylosing spondytlitis. In addition, it can also prevent heart diseases, diabetes and treat depression. They are also highly concentrated on the brain purposely to improve the cognitive function. Most babies who never got enough omega-3 while in their mother’s wombs are characterized by poor eyesight and nerve problems.
When one or several lipids combine with proteins this forms lipoproteins, these transport fat throughout the bloodstream. High-density lipoproteins, also known as HDL, carry fat away from body cells, therefore preventing its growth in the artery walls. Low-Density Lipoproteins, also known as LDL, contain a high amount of cholesterol and seem to help the build up of fatty materials in the artery walls. The situation that you should go for would be high HDL and low LDL levels. Your goal should be to keep your overall cholesterol at below 200, with LDL lower than 40, and your HDL should be at around 160. This will lower the risk of heart disease and other related problems with cholesterol.
The Omega-3's are widely recognized for their role in heart health. Not only do these fatty acids help healthy hearts, they also benefit those with cardiovascular disease. Research has proved atherosclerotic plaque reduces with consistent consumption of omega-3's. Further, incidences of irregular heartbeats decline with these fatty acids; high blood pressure has been known to slightly drops as well.
A low fat heart healthy diet is my idea of the best nutritional diet, especially since heart disease is the number one killer among people in the United States. Cardiovascular disease is very prevalent in my family. I lost both, paternal and maternal grandparents to heart disease. My father has severe heart disease, and my mother and brother are both hypertensive and require medication; therefore, I know I’m especially vulnerable to this disease.
Good fats are found in nuts, avocados, olives, seeds and healthy oils like olive oil, flaxseed, and sesame.
Fatty acids are another type of lipid. The common feature of fatty acids is that they are all esters of moderate to long chain fatty acids. Two polyunsaturated fatty acids, linoleic and linoleic, are designated "essential" because their absence in the human diet has been associated with health problems, such as scaly skin, stunted growth and increased dehydration. These acids are also precursors to the prostaglandins, a family of physiologically potent lipids present in minute amounts in most body tissues.